Formula One defending champion Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, while championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on the first lap and Carlos Sainz claimed a first podium for Williams since 2021. Verstappen started from pole position and retained his lead throughout the entire race to claim back-to-back victories after his win at the Italian GP two weeks ago.
Formula One defending champion Max Verstappen won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, while championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on the first lap and Carlos Sainz claimed a first podium for Williams since 2021.
Verstappen started from pole position and retained his lead throughout the entire race to claim back-to-back victories after his win at the Italian GP two weeks ago.
The Red Bull driver now sits 69 points behind Piastri in third in the standings as he enters this season's title race with seven events left.
George Russell of Mercedes was second ahead of Sainz, who completed a fantastic weekend with his first podium since the 2024 Abu Dhabi GP, when he was still racing for Ferrari.
Piastri, meanwhile, had a catastrophic weekend. He jumped the race start and immediately stopped, while everyone else went past as he restarted his procedures. But once back on track, he locked up into Turn 5 and hit the barriers.
The McLaren driver started only ninth on the grid after he also crashed in the late stages of qualifying on Saturday.
Team-mate and title contender Lando Norris was seventh after a slow pit stop ended any hopes he had for a podium, but he cut his gap to Piastri by six points to 25.
Category: General Sports
